Loughner's parents horrified, baffled

The parents of alleged Tucson gunman Jared Lee Loughner broke their public silence on Tuesday, saying they still didn’t understand what triggered their son’s weekend shooting spree that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition and six others dead.

Two unidentified representatives for Randy and Amy Loughner handed out a statement to reporters gathered in the parent’s driveway that expresses sympathy to the victims of the violence that has upended the country’s political debate and could send their 22-year old son to death row.

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“This is a very difficult time for us,” the parents said. “We ask the media to respect our privacy. There are no words that can possibly express how we feel. We wish that there were so we could make you feel better. We don’t understand why this happened. It may not make any difference, but we wish that we could change the heinous events of Saturday. We care very deeply about the victims and their families. We are so very sorry for their loss. Thank you.”

Loughner’s parents have spoken to the Federal Bureau of Investigations and local police but have been secluded from the public ever since their son allegedly attempted to assassinate Giffords outside a Safeway supermarket on Saturday morning. Reporters have been on stakeout outside their suburban home, with a local TV crew broadcasting a live feed for more than an hour Tuesday of several microphones and a beat-up pickup truck in the Loughners’ driveway.

A neighbor invited into the parents’ home told reporters on Monday night that the grief-stricken parents were having trouble coping with the news.

The parents’ statement came as a federal judge ruled Tuesday that his colleagues in Arizona’s Tucson division are ethically barred from presiding over Loughner’s prosecution because he’s accused of murdering John Roll, the late chief judge of the district court. Loughner’s attorney, public defender Judy Clark, is also trying to ensure that his case is heard outside of Arizona similar to the change of venue for convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

Loughner’s alleged actions have drawn comments from across the political spectrum, including former President Bill Clinton, who called Tuesday for a change in the American political climate.

In an interview with the BBC, Clinton avoided laying blame on anyone for the weekend attack, but sided with other voices suggesting that it’s time to reconsider the tone of political debate.

“No one intends to do anything that encourages this sort of behavior,” Clinton said. “”We just have to be sensitive.”

He continued: “I think this is an occasion for us to reaffirm that our political differences shouldn’t degenerate into demonization.”

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CORRECTION: Corrected by: David Cohen @ 01/12/2011 12:54 AM
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story quoted Clinton as saying Americans should be “careful” about political rhetoric. He said “sensitive.”